


Prompt: Train Ride/Freedom

by human_collector



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Warning: Graphic Descriptions of surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 02:01:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5439311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/human_collector/pseuds/human_collector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco Bodt had been rescued from an area that was recently under a bombing attack. Wounded but not let down by his abilities, he heals, and joins another squad made from people all over the brigade, to take down the person who started everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prompt: Train Ride/Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> This was aimed to be a war fic [the gangsters are a plus].  
> Inspired (a bit) by the anime Texhnolyze.  
> Enjoy.

Prompt line is: Train ride/ Freedom  
Pairing: Jean x Marco  
Marco leaned back in his comfortable seat and sighed. The train was gradually picking up speed as they moved farther away from Trost.  
Across from him was Jean Kirschtein, a friend who helped him very much in every way. He was passed out on his seat and deeply asleep. And who could blame him, he went to hell and back to get Marco out of that building. He didn’t even change his army clothes.  
“Tickets please”  
Marco gave his and Jean’s tickets to the conductor and sat back down. He sat a little too suddenly though and wherever it was bandaged started to sting painfully. Marco breathed in a couple times to get the pain to subdue so that he wouldn’t bother his sleeping companion.  
Marco got shot three times while he was running away from helicopters, which were dropping bombs in Quinta district. He shot them back, cracking the glass with his bullet and being proud to do so. The helicopter, after a long chase down which Marco excessively dodged any missile aimed at him expertly while they either destroyed his surrounding houses with the gun, or a bomb did, cornered him and mercilessly shot him many times until he fell onto the ground like a lifeless doll. His ears rung from the loud shot and he fainted while being in pain.  
The next day was a tend-to-the-fallen day and Marco was brought to the infirmary ward, with his own blood dried on his arm making a huge blob, in tremendous amount of pain and, dirty as hell. Soldiers, especially from his rank did not hunger. Their appetite was cut from day two of this blood-thirsty war. The reason was probably the constant sprays of poisonous gas and radiation residue from explosions but everyone secretly blamed it on the fallen corpses of the innocent victims. Anyone who saw what the radiation did would not be able to keep anything down.  
The infirmary was really busy that day. Nurses of all statuses were running from patient to patient, checking vitals, giving water, performing surgeries, and cleaning the floor from shed skin and blood.  
The older soldiers were quiet and patient, trying not to trouble the nurses further with their whines but occasionally the younger recruits would leave out a groan of complaint and get a duct tape piece placed on their lips to shut them up.  
Marco was placed on a cot near the exit and waited patiently, for someone to treat him. Now that the bullet had festered somewhat into his skin and the aching sensation was lost with the adrenaline, he thought he could tolerate it. An elderly woman approached him and began to examine him.  
The wounds were visible and easy to treat. She could just remove Marco’s bullets out of him and patch him up, right?  
“Son where were you when you got shot?” her voice carried; it was loud and very, very clear. Her hands rough from years of work yet very gentle and understanding, felt him for his pulse and checked for infections. Her fingers slid down Marco’s arm, testing its flexibility and if the nerves were responding. She looked at his leg too; the bullet wasn’t visible at all; there was only a hole when the bullet penetrated through and dragged Marco’s skin with it looking like a worm’s hole.  
“I was at the Quinta district, Gran. I was running away from the bombs and someone got me. They shot my arm and leg, -- see. ” Marco replied, pointing with his other arm his leg and arm that were injured.  
“Son, I can only remove the bullet from your arm” she said as she cleaned the dried blood off of Marco’s torso and thigh. “For a bullet that deep in you’ll need a surgical table, not a cot”.  
“Okay, thanks Gran. Do what you can”.  
The nurse was brought a bottle of anesthetic upon her request, put some on a bandage and cleansed the bullet wound thoroughly. Then she took a surgical knife, sliced the skin fiber, and then used a clamp to keep the cut open. She then, sliced the muscle fiber this time and found the bullet, wedged between the two walls above and below it.  
She took it out with a pair of tweezers and sewed the two layers back up. She wrapped a cloth bandage around the sutures to keep them clean and left to tend to someone else.  
Marco felt his bandage, being careful not to touch the knot that kept it tight. He fainted.  
\--------------  
Marco’s leg was what woke him. It started to ache again, more brutally than before.  
“IT HURTS”  
His leg was burning. He felt a liquid spread inside his thigh and gnaw on his muscles, burning them.  
“Aaaahh help me, please” His yell did wake someone, another nurse.  
She was the one who was the busiest of all four of them, the one who did not sit down a second and tended almost everyone.  
“Sir, what’s wrong?!”  
“Please, m-my leg, it’s burning up! Help me. Please~” Marco was holding his thigh, bent over it and groaning, he was rocking back and forth.  
The nurse pushed him back and slapped his hands away. She used a flashlight to examine the hole which was pulsing and getting blacker by the minute.  
“We have to operate, NOW.”  
She put him with great effort on a cart and pulled him in the surgery room. The room was always sterile, for emergency cases just like Marco’s. She turned on the light and brought close the surgical tools.  
“This is bad. The bullet cannot be taken out. Your muscle will rupture and your nerves will be destroyed, making your leg useless. I have to amputate. Is that okay?”  
Marco wouldn’t mind. He would manage. He always did.  
He nodded and the nurse got to work. She gave him a really strong drug that knocked him out in three minutes. She tied a tourniquet on the base of the leg to cut off circulation, used an antiseptic solution to sterilize his whole leg and marked where she would cut. Then she took the surgical saw, held the leg so it wouldn’t budge and started cutting it. With every layer she sawed pass, she had to collect the blood in plastic bags and stored it in the freezer so it doesn’t go to waste. When the leg was removed completely and the wound sutured and bandaged, the nurse was exhausted.  
She took her mask and cap off, and with a towel she wiped the sweat off her face and neck. She felt tired, but being used to this routine, she didn’t mind.  
Marco woke up soon after and sat on the edge of the surgical table. He stumbled and almost fell off. He looked at himself and his leg which was next to him in a tray and the nurse who was beside it. She tossed the green-black leg in a bin and took off her gloves.  
She helped Marco up, while holding in a yawn, and slowly brought him back to his cot. Then she went to the nurses’ rooms and fell back asleep herself. She must’ve been dead tired. And Marco didn’t even know her name.  
He had to ask for it tomorrow.  
\--------------  
Marco woke up from hearing a lot of voices shouting and heavy boots running on the cracked marble floor of the infirmary.  
“Come on let’s get ya outta here” a female soldier said as she grabbed two people, one to hang on her back and one in her arms in a princess hold.  
“Oh you’re awake, man” A tall blond soldier said, swinging a pistol in his hand and watching five more soldiers load up the sick and getting them out of the infirmary. The nurses were frantically running around, collecting their medicine, hidden or not, to bring them in case there weren’t any in their new location.  
“We don’t have a lot of time. The arsonists are gonna be here, any minute now. You’re coming with me” As the last sick person left the building, the leader of the group –it seemed- , put Marco on his shoulders and carried him out. The street was empty, save from three carriages; two for all the sick and wounded and one for the nurses.  
Marco was placed in the second cart.  
The carts started to run and as soon as they got in the main road, gunshots were heard left and right of them, trying to get the horses to stop.  
“Hitch, Sasha, Marlo hurry with the horses. Get us outta here”. The hospital was in flames in a second. Molotov cocktails were thrown on the cart from alley ways and rooftops but the leader and another more grown-up soldier smashed them in the air with their guns.  
The horses ran faster but the gunshots increased and the fire spread. The people either closed themselves in their homes or ran outside of the shops and bars they were in, to get away from all the gunfire.  
That was a very bad decision. The raiders were merciless, hitting everything and everyone who got in their way. Thankfully their aim was off somewhat because they were mobile but nevertheless they tried to hit the three carts as accurately as they could.  
The soldiers shot back, their guns and swords curving in all angles trying to get their enemies.  
“Marlo, head for the trees” the leader yelled to the front cart. The cart suddenly turned in a ninety degree angle and sprinted to the forest as directed, followed closely by the other two. The carts had a head start in that chase so when they entered the forest, the enemy had just got in the road.  
Because they were so many they couldn’t move together so they split the roads.  
Those who noticed the tracks went their direction, those who didn’t went either forward or back to the city to smoke out more soldiers.  
The ones, who followed the carts’ wheel tracks, were a fairly large number, coming to twenty people with guns and they gave a chase down the path.  
Hitch noticed them coming and notified the leader.  
“Jean, they’re coming from behind. I don’t want to hit them”  
“Evasive maneuvers, lose them. Sasha you and Hitch be in front, now. Marlo stop the cart, we’re gonna play decoy so the sick can get away.”  
”Got it sir.” The carts that were containing the sick rode away further in the forest, while the cart with the soldiers, stopped and they came out of it.  
“It’s me, Connie, Marlo and Eren. Guys take out your guns but do NOT hit anyone. Just disarm, got it?”  
“Yes, sir” The armed soldiers stepped down and spread around the glade, hiding behind the trees and taking positions. Jean and Eren who had big guns went to the back of their formation; Connie went to middle so he could report their enemies’ movements and Marlo went front because he’s the best decoy for a gangster mob available now.  
The mob entered the clearing looking around and cocking their guns to get them ready.  
Marlo fired two warning shots, one in a forty-six degree angle and one on a tree behind the crowd.  
Connie sneaked a peak at the crowd and signaled to Jean that they were hunched together. That meant they were amateurs.  
‘Good’ Jean thought as he loaded his gun and motioned to Eren to do the same.  
“Eren shoot the tranquilizers on my mark. Five, four, three, two, GO”  
Eren ran out from behind the tree he was sitting behind from and shot at the first three people in front of the crowd. They dropped immediately. He didn’t stop there; he shot whoever was in his sight and was carrying a gun. Soon his needles were gone and eleven people were down. Two had fled back and the rest were shooting wherever they could, aimlessly.  
“YEEES. Did you see that Jean? Man, I’m good. ”  
“Yeah, yeah Eren you are really good. The best. Now shut up and fall back”. A bullet passed over Jean’s ear and landed on another tree across from them.  
“Crap they’re getting close. Connie, Marlo bail, Eren take them around the forest, please. I’ll injure them enough for them to faint. Go, go, go”  
They couldn’t disagree. Any fight in close range would have resulted in an unnecessary death. They knew that Jean didn’t want that. He didn’t want to leave a trail.  
Jean was alone now. His gun was full and heavy. The seven people remaining were cautious and distracted. He got up from his hiding spot and observed their positions. There were two on the left, three on the front, one behind and one loading up.  
He stealthily headed for the guy who was loading up his gun. Once he arrived behind him he closed his mouth and strangled him, enough to cut the oxygen from his brain and allowing him to faint.  
Then he went for the three in front. This could be really bad if he was discovered. He took his gun and banged the hilt on the guy on the right, letting him fall and then struck the other two with it like a bat.  
Similarly he dealt with the other three, ending up in a pile of unconscious bodies.  
“Jeez these guys have no idea what they’re getting themselves into” Jean said taking out his transceiver and dialing Connie.  
“Hey, Connie, where the fuck are you?” Jean spat jokingly in the transceiver while he sheathed his gun in the gun pouch.  
“Just over the edge of the forest Jean-boy, everyone’s waiting for ya here, so move your ass and come over. Just, if you have blood on ya, you might wanna wipe it, I—don’t think the patients would want to see red right now.”  
“Man, didn’t I say that I’ll go clean today? Has your captain ever failed you bro?”  
“Whatever show-off, hurry up and get here already.”  
“Okay buddy, be right there.” Jean said to the transceiver and they disconnected.  
Jean ran the whole way there, jumping and dodging rocks and branches, smiling at his agility and the wind messing up his hair and making them stand up.  
“Woohoooo, haha” Jean landed to another clearing, with messy hair and a big smile on his face. There were his comrades, all safe and sound; the nurses were all okay, some of the patients were talking to each other to make sure no one was having a panic attack from the deafening sounds hell they just went through.  
“Alright, we took care of the enemy for now. So rest up nicely, and we’re gonna get’cha all to the next city, okay?”  
Jean sat down on the cool grass next to the only patient who got amputated in any part of his body. While he was waiting for him to wake up the nurse told him she had just operated on him and he couldn’t be moved until some time had passed.  
Jean didn’t notice that this guy’s leg missing until it was time to carry him out.  
It wasn’t a shock; the dead bodies Jean and his team had to deal with on a daily basis were grander than this injury, but for some reason, this guy didn’t suit the missing leg look. His skin was tanned from being in the sun every day, his grip seemed fine and like all of them he was scarred everywhere. He had this calm demeanor though; he could kill only if he was provoked to.  
“Hey, while we wait, let’s introduce ourselves. There isn’t anything better to do anyway” Hitch said looking at her squad in question.  
“Oh, I am Sasha Braus, squad three, front line” the girl in the pony tail said as she bowed her head in salute.  
“I’m Eren Jaeger, also in the front line and the first recruit of squad three.”  
“I’m Hitch Dreyse and this is Marlo Freudenberg, we are the defense and backup double team on squad three.”  
“I’m Connie Springer, resource and communication of squad three. Nice to meet ya.”  
“And I am Jean Kirschtein, leader of squad three. Happy to be of service.”  
The patients introduced themselves next.  
“I’m Reiner, squad seven.” A buff blond man said trying to sit up better against the tree that was supporting his back.  
“Commander Levi.” A mature voice was heard from the man who had his arms crossed and a furrowed brow all the way to that clearing. It was obvious he didn’t say much but did lots and it showed from his rank.  
“Ymir” said the girl with the bandage around her chest and nothing else. Another one who doesn’t talk a lot, Jean noted.  
”Gunther Schultz, special operations squad”  
‘Wow they’re from all over the brigade’ Sasha thought loosening her ponytail to tie it tighter. She looked at the last one, who was struggling with moving his body accordingly.  
“Marco, Marco Bodt” Marco said looking up and avoiding everyone’s eyes. “Squad five, um, I am with the recovery and assistance unit whilst in battle and expeditions.” He was clearly self-conscious of his leg since he himself hasn’t gotten used to it yet.  
“Okay~ glad to meet you all. Now that you are all rested up, let’s move. We’re going to the Quinta district”  
Marco shot up and looked at Jean wide-eyed.  
“What is it Marco? Are you not okay with that?”  
Marco shook his head negatively and he turned around to the others whilst avoiding Jean’s eyes until he looked away.  
‘Are you fucking with me right now?’ Jean thought and raised his hand to the others. ‘I’m gonna deal with you later’.  
“ALRIGHT WE’RE GOING TO MIX. The nurses, Ms. Francesca and Ms. Gabriella are going to ride with Gunther, Marco and Ymir: the most injured. Now since Commander Levi and Reiner are in top condition and can fight they’ll be in front, with Eren, Hitch and I. The rest of you Sasha, Marlo, Connie, Mrs. Marie and Mrs. Clara, you are the reinforcements and you’ll cover us, okay. Marlo, I’m counting on your accuracy, Sasha lent us your speed. Connie don’t fuck up”  
“Hey-”  
“Anyway, the plan is to get to Quinta and then take refuge in a new “base” the brigade found for us. It’s spacious and free of holes from bombs. Let’s go! ~ hang tight.”  
\-------------  
They were halfway there when Jean stopped the carts again. In front of them were a shepherd and his herd of goats and sheep spread out in the path. A given since the roads here weren’t visited often.  
“Excuse me sir, could you move your herd? We’re kinda in a hurry”  
A slender and small figure appeared from under a sheep. They had a straw hat and a white collar shirt, lose on the top buttons, and a pair of summer jeans.  
They had their head down so the soldiers could not see the person’s face. They silently took a stick and cleared the path from the animals and pointed up the road with it when they were done. It seemed that they smiled when they did so.  
“Thank you’ Jean said confused and motioned the others to get a move on.  
“W-wait stranger.” The small person raised their arm to block the horse from moving forward but they still didn’t show their face.  
“What is it dude? We have to get going.” Jean hopped down from the cart seat and approached the person without caution. They didn’t have time for this; he’d have to move them by force then.  
Before even Jean got really near to the person, they stepped back. Jean began to feel cautious. He looked around him, but the trees were crowded and the sun dim to determine if there were shadows there.  
‘Ah fuck me’ Jean thought and moved his hand slowly to get a knife he had hidden on the inside of his shirt. He unbuttoned the lowest button but before he could make another move, the person charged at him, holding a hooked-shaped scythe that aimed directly at Jean’s side.  
Jean launched his body to the opposite side and grabbed the person’s wrist firmly. He pulled it downwards slowly, making the offender kneel and then kneed him in his back, causing him to lose his balance completely and fall. Jean secured them to the ground, throwing the weapon away and putting his arms behind him in an uncomfortable hold.  
“YOU TRAITOR, SURRENDER” the person said struggling to get a breath from underneath Jean, as the rest of the soldiers got out and formed a circle around the pair.  
“Not happening buddy, I have some things I need to do first and jail ain’t one.” Jean said tightening his hold on the person’s hands, making them red from the pressure.  
Then there was shuffling amongst the trees; gun muzzles and men began to pop out from all directions and closed in on the group.  
There must’ve been thirty of them; all clad in camo either just the pants or the full gear. They saw their comrade who was seized by Jean and pointed their guns to him. Levi, noticing that, took Reiner and the rest of squad three and used the carts as hiding spots until they loaded their guns.  
Then a massive bang was heard from the camo wearing villagers. A man holding a hunting shotgun fired directly on to Jean and he, to get away from it, grabbed the boy and rolled out of the way. He threw the blond boy behind a tree and pulled out his pistol as well. Two more guns fired at him and he jumped to evade them.  
Levi motioned half of the squad to go around the path and catch those who weren’t visible while the rest would deal with the evident ones.  
“Fire on my mark” Levi said whilst checking if Jean was out of the way. He wasn’t; rather he was blocking the other hunters from Levi and subsequently to the other soldiers.  
‘Goddamn it Jean’ Levi thought raising his gun muzzle at chin point and delaying the soldiers from attacking so they wouldn’t get hit by gunfire.  
Suddenly an opening appeared and Levi didn’t waste it. They all sprinted out from behind the cart and started firing left and right. The trees were sprayed with blood and bodies of men and women fell, back first, in the short grass and lay twitching until they were unmoving.  
Gunshots were heard from inside the trees and two or four more bodies joined the pile, and Sasha, Marlo and Eren –the ones who went around- appeared with their guns ready to fire again.  
Jean ended up in the middle of his squad, with a pile of corpses to his left and ten or so trembling people on his right. Eren stepped forward and shot a person on his shoulder right on the bottom of the shoulder blade. The guy dropped to the ground crying and Eren reloaded his gun.  
The rest of the remaining ones fled without firing a shot. They would probably have the same fate as their comrades so why would they risk it, and left the soldiers at the side of the road.  
The nurses were about to go help but Sasha stopped them.  
“The people who left might bring back reinforcements. We don’t have time for treatments, we have to leave.” She took the youngest by the hand and dragged her back in the cart. The rest of them followed, along with the soldiers. Jean and Levi stayed behind as they waited for the carts to load.  
“Commander, sir may I ask a question sir?”  
“Go ahead squad leader Kirschtein”  
“We-- need a person to report back to the main office when we get to Quinta. Since you sir, have the most authority and I need someone to also inform me of the enemy’s movements, can you take over a control room for me to ensure that we end up safely”. Levi glared at Jean for his question.  
“Where are you intending to go after Quinta, that you’ll need assurance of the enemy’s movements-- if I am not mistaken, twenty-four hours a day?”  
“Um sir district Trost sir. I want to infiltrate it. Sir.”  
“WHAT?” Levi pulled Jean down by his collar and snarled at him angrily.  
“You want to go to the most heavily guarded enemy base, where there’s no centimeter that’s not guarded and infiltrate IT? Are you fucking mad Kirschtein?”  
“But sir, my squad is capable and the enemy has captured important people for Chief Commander Erwin’s plan. So I—we decided to get them back and um- help.”  
“You’ll be signing your own will if you do that Kirschtein. Do you realize your squad would be dead within meters of entering Trost?”  
“They all prepared for it, both physically and mentally. And-”  
“THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE FIT TO START A WAR KIRSCHTEIN.”  
Everyone either came out of the carts again or looked out from them. Levi twisted Jean’s collar tighter which made him cough for a moment and his neck to turn slightly red from Levi’s thumb scraping it.  
“I will not allow you to commit mass suicide and with SICK people on board too.”  
“How do you sir know the extent of my abilities, sir? You might be the highest of rank here but this war is about survival and I –along with my team- are in one piece still. I thought this war would be the last one, the one to end everything forever, even if we die in the process. Was that not what you of higher rank preached for all these years? Was that all faking it? Was that all just excuses? Do you actually want to win this war sir? ”  
“Listen Kirschtein, I have been in more battles than you and I know disobeying the command isn’t the least profitable for anyone who does so.”  
“We’ll make it so. We’ll take control over the command center, send for reinforcements, secure the gates, corner the enemy and squash them”  
Silence fell between the two. Levi had his head hung all this time, not allowing a twitch of emotion to show to his stature. Suddenly Levi smirked and laughed under his breath.  
“Its fine Kirschtein, save your breath. You’ve won me over. I am actually not one of those ‘high rankers’ you mentioned before.”  
Levi smiled and looked at Jean properly. His eyes were gleaming and he was smirking widely now, ‘was it all an act?’ The commander released Jean’s collar, and turned to everyone who was watching.  
“Current squad three, you all probably discussed this plan many times, but if you think you can win with just sneaking in you have another thing coming. We need numbers and Jean and I could come up with a more full proof plan than ‘hoping for the best’. So if we need numbers somebody’s gotta pick the transceiver and play with the signals a bit until they have got the base. So who’s good with machines and shit?”  
Marco sat up better on the cart’s bench and raised his hand. Levi seemed pleased.  
”Can you do it soldier? Can you find the base? If we need a two day trip from here to Quinta for resupplying and then a four day trip from there to Trost, the Calvary has to be informed six days prior, which means, today.”  
“I’ll do it sir, don’t worry. Everyone you can rely on me” Marco exclaimed proudly and sticking his hand out to be given the transceiver.  
“Since you can’t move much, Jean and I will join you in the cart and the girl with the almost healed ribs along with a nurse bench with Reiner, Eren and Hitch.”  
“Whatever” Ymir said getting up and straightening her army jacket. Nurse Gabriella followed her without a word. Ymir was pretty scary and making her move from one cart to the other probably annoyed her and she chose to believe that she shouldn’t annoy her further.  
The carts began to move again and finally they had a lead to go with.  
“Marco, here’s the transceiver” Jean said giving him the device. “Good luck, and remember we need you.” He said patting his back lightly.  
“Yes sir.” Marco as soon as the device was in his hands he started to mess around with it. He opened the front lid and looked at the wiring. He could switch them around to get a better signal if he needed to. But this wasn’t the time now. He used the knob by the side to slide through the channels of which most of them where plain static in search for the base.  
Signals overlapped often; there were times that he almost caught it but since this was a military base it swept right through any foreign signals even from a branch device as was this transceiver. Marco had to catch this fleeting signal by surprise in order to get anywhere.  
He never took his eyes of it for the rest of the day. He continuously twisted the knobs of the transceiver in his hands either down or up. The other occupants of the cart either resulted to watch out of the window or fall asleep. He and Jean were the only ones conscious after a while and since Marco’s progress was slowly producing results, but the channel always managed to get away. This was a war, of course every broadcasting device would be alive and transmitting everything.  
“Ahh FUCK” Marco exclaimed startling Jean who was nodding off with his eyes open. He looked at him questionably and he returned the look.  
“I missed it again, damn it.”  
“What were the coordinates this time?”  
“135/62/14”  
“Hold on, why I didn’t think this before” Jean stood up and looked over his shoulder.  
”Where was it? Uhh I hate losing things fuck” Jean was rummaging through his backpack for something.  
“What is it; can I help you find it?”  
“No, no Marco I’ll find it, don’t worry. Keep searching.”  
“Okay, Jean, I will”  
Jean’s heart thumped. He just realised that Marco hasn’t called him by his name until now. Well he was pretty silent anyway but that startled him for a second. He searched his backpack unfazed so he wouldn’t worry Marco on top of his frustration with the transceiver.  
“Aha found you, you little bastard” Jean pulled out a big map of Japan and settled it on his knees. He scanned it and pinpointed the base’s actual location and used the last coordinates Marco found to note the other point.  
“Hey Marco do you remember the other ones?”  
“Sure, there were 135/65/14 the first one, 135/43/14 the second one, 135/25/14 the third one and the fourth one I already told you.”  
“Hmm that “/14” has been appearing a lot. I know the first two numbers are X and Y coordinates but what the fuck is the /14. It might be the paces you have to take from the transmitting tower or something but I can’t bet my money on it.”  
“Actually it’s a serial number. All the towers have them. If it’s coming from the same source all I need to do is find the Y in this equation. We have the 135 for Japan, we have the 14 for the tower, Jean, please show me where the base is. “  
Jean placed the map between him and Marco and pointed at it with certainty. His companion was bouncing up and down and honestly Jean felt the same way.  
“Nice job Jean. I have them now, let me just insert them once again and--”  
The static was gone in an instant and Marco increased the device’s volume to listen better. Voices and phone rings were heard over the transceiver which indicated an office.  
“YOU DID IT MARCO, WELL DONE” Jean said squeezing Marco’s shoulder affectionately and ruffling his hair. He left his right arm around Marco shoulders and listened as Marco explained the situation to the person on the receiving end. She said she’ll pass the message and she too congratulated Marco too by finding the channel.  
The deed was done, the plan received permission to continue and all that was left was for Jean and Commander Levi to update it. Commander Levi was asleep since he hadn’t had a decent shut eye since his admission to the hospital. It was beginning to dusk anyway and tomorrow would be a hectic day. Jean yawned and apologized to Marco just before his eyelids shut and his nose fell on his upper arm which was still around Marco.  
Marco had been drugged to sleep until this morning. The sudden change of environment, the drugs, the chase, the bump cart, they were all tiring. He yawned as well and slid back to the far end of the bench, holding Jean’s chest with his fingers as to not wake him up. He could’ve slept all this time and he stayed until the evening to help him, which he indeed did. But now he was snoring softly in Marco’s ear, making him sleepy too. Marco closed his eyes and let his arms fall to his lap. Sleep overcame him and he embraced it.  
\-----------  
When Marco woke up, the horses had stopped and they were eating their oat out of bags. Everyone had spread out; Levi and Jean sat on the tall grass and were immersed in their planning, the women both the soldiers and the nurses where sitting under a tree and relaxing. Eren probably took Marlo, Reiner and Gunther to patrol the area.  
Marco rose from his seat and grabbed the cart’s frame to stable himself. Then he started, painstakingly slow, to make his body turn 180 degrees and jump down from the cart.  
Before he even went to jump, he heard a yell coming towards him.  
“MARCO STAY WHERE YOU ARE” He didn’t listen and holding tightly to the cart he jumped over and landed perfectly on his one leg.  
Turning his head around he saw Jean running towards him, a worried looking darkening his face and reaching in his pouch for something.  
“Are you okay?” he said checking him from head to toe for any abnormal symptoms.  
“I am alright Jean” Marco smiled and was ushered down the hill, slowly, by him so he wouldn’t fall over.  
“You need crutches or something to walk with. Too bad we didn’t get a pair back at the hospital.”  
Jean held him tightly by his waist to keep him steady and Marco’s skin felt very soft in his fingers. Marco was taller by a head so he had to lean a bit in when he had his arm around so his hair was brushing Jean’s cheek.  
Jean plopped him down next to Levi and sat across from him. Then he gave him a full body scan with his eyes, to check him again if anything was wrong.  
‘This dude is clean; the only spots I see are his freckles’ Jean thought internally sighing with relief.  
“Here, you’re sweating like crazy” Jean said giving his handkerchief to Marco and then turning his gaze on to Levi.  
“Thank you, Jean”  
“Now Commander Levi, about the plan. Is it fine as it is or does it need tweaking?”  
“No plan is ever full proof Jean, that’s why I made you make the backup plans while I’d do the main plan. The sneaking into the city at dawn will happen as planned but from there it depends both on you, your squad and the reinforcements”.  
“Fair enough. Let’s pray it works.”  
“Don’t talk like that Kirschtein.”  
“Sorry sir”  
\---------------  
“The time to go is getting close” Ymir said loading her pistols and securing them front and back of her belt and then hid them with her jacket. She also hid a long bladed knife in her sleeve, by tying it with string on her wrist and forearm drawing a bit of blood in the process.  
Her unfazed gaze went around the field where the others were spread in different directions.  
Jean Kirsch-whatever, was in the middle of his squad giving directions. The squad seven guy, Reiner was stretching his muscles and doing light exercise to warm up. Gunther, the one who disgustingly stuck on her like tape, was out with that baldy of squad three to get the nurses somewhere safe. They should be back right about now.  
Now there’s the guy from squad five. That fucker had been humming to himself for an hour now, swinging his leg like he’s some grade schooler or something. Earlier he loaded a rifle for himself and it was now strapped to his shirtless back, but he had been messing with something in his hands for a while now.  
Ymir strolled to his side and looked over his shoulder.  
Wires, screwdrivers and small metallic pieces were around his foot in the grass making it glow in the low moonlight. Two similar devices were next to his chair, their irregular polygon shape striking Ymir weirdly.  
“Hey what are ya doin’?”  
“Makin’ bombs” he replied without even looking behind him.  
“One fir each team, huh?”  
“That’s right—Ymir right?”  
“Yeah”  
“Wanna sit here with me? Even though I’m focused on this, I’m starting to feel lonely.”  
“I don’ know man, what if it blows up in my face?”  
“Don’t you worry; the bomb doesn’t start ticking until I tell it to. Plus it’s a minor one. This thing could blow up a door handle and only that. I don’t wanna use stronger chemicals because then you will be in danger.”  
“I only have your word for it, though bro”  
“It must be good enough, for you not going away and still talking to me” Marco said smiling widely and Ymir rolled her eyes allowing a tinge in her lips to form.  
“Whatever, you’re interesting. Say, uh-”  
“Marco Bodt”  
“Right. What did ya do to the captain?”  
“The captain?”  
“He keeps lookin’ ‘ere all angry for some reason.”  
“Oh that. I have no idea; I’ve been watching these bombs for four hours straight with the light of this torch and I didn’t focus on anything else.”  
“Fair enough, look he’s coming this way”  
Jean climbed the hill that Ymir and Marco were on and stood in front of them, crossing his arms.  
”How’s it going Marco?” he said putting his hand on Marco’s shoulder and looking at his lap.  
“Pretty well, I’m almost done with this one as well”  
“Awesome, when you finish we’ll gear you up and we’ll be making our move.”  
“Okay Jean, I’ll be swift then” Marco said sealing the second to last panel and then beginning to cut the next one.  
“Oi you okay?” Jean directed the question to Ymir.  
She looked at him, with her disinterested glare and nodded affirmatively.  
Jean huffed and left the hill to stop Eren from bullying Marlo and Gunther with scary stories.  
Ymir cocked her head and raised an eyebrow at Jean’s retreating back. She smirked but she hid it with her hand so Marco wouldn’t notice.  
‘Oho-ho Kirschtein, never thought you were that kind of man’ her smirk turned into a wolfish grin and pressed her hand harder to suppress it. Ymir found this very interesting.  
“OKAY I’M DONE” Marco yelled quite loudly in her ear and she slapped him on accident.  
“Sorry, I hurt you”  
“It’s alright”  
“Marco can you answer a question for me?”  
“Sure”  
“Why the fuck are you so smiley all the damn time?”  
“Dunno”  
“Ya don’t know, huh? Interesting. Well, I’ll bail fir now, make sure to remember the bulletproof vest when ya’re gonna get dressed, hmm? We wouldn’t want another cut like that” she said and pointed at his leg.  
“On it” he said and used the chair as a way to get up. He hopped over to the edge of the hill and picked up a long branch. Ymir stood and looked at him like he was insane. He turned and realised what he had done and coughed awkwardly.  
“I had my eye on this for a while”  
“Why didn’t you tell me to bring it to you?”  
“I’m impatient when I want something. Haha ha you can even say that I can’t wait for others sometimes” He placed it under his armpit and slowly descended the hill towards Marlo who was running from Jean and Eren, the deathly duo, trying not to get a noogie from them. They managed to grab him and put him in a chokehold, smearing coal all over his face and especially around his mouth.  
“Now, now guys, play fair” he said as Eren finally softened his grip on Marlo and went to Marco’s side. Without asking his passed his arm around his shoulders, elevated him a bit and together they descended the hill completely.  
“Ah Eren?”  
“Yeah? What is it?”  
“Thanks”  
“No problem. Say, Marco Bodt was it?, want some help gearing up? I’m free now”  
“Sure, you’d help me a lot”  
“Alright come with me. Oh, CONNIE WELCOME BACK”  
“WE’RE BACK EREN”  
“I guess it’s time to go” Eren said to Marco as he rolled his trousers’ sleeve and slipped a spare boot in. He took a bulletproof vest and strapped it on Marco’s torso and took a shirt and buttoned it on him.  
“Do you want the green coat or the black coat?”  
“I guess, green?”  
“Awesome~. Now, listen man,” Eren said leaning in and putting his hands on his knees.  
“We’re gonna be gone for a long time, okay? Do not panic and blow our cover by sending reinforcements too early. You got your fancy little toy to tell you when it’s time to go. ”  
‘’Got it”  
“You sure? You aren’t gonna hesitate are you?”  
“Eren” Marco said looking at him seriously. “I will sit and wait for that beep even if my life depended on it. Without any hesitation”  
“Good, come on now let’s put you in the cart.”  
Eren slung Marco’s arm on his shoulders and pulled him up until his torso was completely on top of his back.  
“Eyy –oop”  
Eren let Marco hold on to him and put his arm around his leg to steady him. Then he ran up the hill and sat him in the farthest seat in front. Then he joined him, his hidden guns clicking together inside his jacket and pants.  
“WE’RE READY”  
Soon the others joined them, Ymir handling the horse of the particular cart and Connie the other one. Ymir swished the leashes and the cart began to move.  
After a while, when the last remnants of the moon were gone and the sky was clear black, Eren reached to his pocket and took out a knife to play with. Marco, who had been watching the road until then, turned his eyes on him. He flung and retracted the blade fluently, managing some great maneuvering stunts. Marco watched him periodically so he didn’t seem creepy.  
Eren kept his gaze on the horses the entire ride, playing with his knife and throwing remarks to his teammates to rile them up and get a laugh out of it. He looked confident in himself and a good company to have beside you. Marco was intrigued by Eren, who had this mature joyfulness to sit in this cart calmly and play with his knife.  
“Am I that amusing, Marco?” Eren whispered side-glancing to Marco’s face without shame.  
Marco embarrassed, looked up and away, but Eren had targeted Marco now and he wouldn’t get away that easily.  
“Do you like seeing me with my blade?” he asked thumbing the sharper edge and licking his bleeding finger while looking straight in his brown eyes with his own green ones.  
“Does it, stir you up?” Eren said smirking and Marco didn’t answer him. He just looked the other way.  
“Enough Eren” Jean’s voice said as he got up from his seat and slapped him upside the head.  
“What the fuck Jean?”  
“Nothing, nothing” he said cracking his knuckles and sitting down again.  
“Tsk, damn, that was a hard one” Eren said rubbing the spot tenderly and bowing his head down in between his legs to subdue it.  
“Damnit Jean I’ll get’cha back for this”

\-------------  
They reached the Quinta district and got some supplies that they needed; wire rope, bullets, blades, some food and water and of course smoke bombs and tranquilizers.  
They haul it all up in the carts and shove them in their pockets, whatever they get. Some get more bullets than others, but those others have more tranquilizing syringes however, each of them regardless of rank got a smoke bomb and a blade.  
“ALRIGHT EVERYONE THE MISSION IS A GO. MOVE~ OUT”  
“YES SIR”  
Boots hit the hard soil and the newly formed team, moved in rhythm to their destination. It was quite far because they didn’t want to get spotted and no one had a flashlight with them to avoid any temptation to flick it on. They reached the walls of Trost and the gate to their dismay was solidly closed. Not a hinge was removable since they were all brand new.  
Gunther along with Connie threw two grappling hooks on the left and right side of the gate respectively and they passed them through wheelies so pulling would be easier and finally secured them on spikes.  
One by one they climbed the wall expertly as if each one of them was a skilled acrobat and they stood on the wall waiting for instructions.  
“Those who I assigned as my team, team A, head north east. Keep your walkie-talkies in mind for the signal. Those who are team B you head east, but be careful you’ll be passing through visible points, I’d prefer it if you avoided them.  
Team C, listen up you need to lure out every stalker, sniper or any threat that might be hidden inside Trost. Take them out from their hiding places and then head to team B’s spot to enter the target. You head south east. I depend on you the most. Good luck to everyone. Be careful of the visible spots Commander showed you. Let’s go.”  
They spread, in their teams, about, wore their hoods to hide themselves and sprinted each to their direction.  
Team A, with Jean in charge, moved aligned with the wall in an incredible fast rhythm that made them look like they were faceless shadows. They were the team with the majority of visible spots so they tried to be as fast with their departure as they could.  
Team B, with Levi, managed to use the buildings as a cover to get to the other side of the city. They jumped from roof to roof, bouncing in disarray to avoid any type of trap that captured them all together. However their disarray allowed them not to be hiding inside the mass which would be distracting but think for them and ahead as well.  
Team C, with Eren as the leader, waited for the other teams to get safely in their locations and once they had raised enough suspicion they would rush out and kill whoever will be following A and B. Their route was a squiggly line going from the outside to the heart of the city and it required the most agile of the team.  
“Not yet Eren” Jean whispered into his transceiver earning a grunt from it in return. He put the transceiver back and looked at his squad members. They were all looking forward, silent and focused. Jean felt relieved to see them. He didn’t want any self-doubters this late in the mission. They had been running for a good twenty minutes and they were almost there when a light in a house in the distance was lit. The person opened their window and looked outside. They looked young but even they could be a danger to this mission. Suddenly their face was illuminated by the light and they focused directly on the squad members. They cried, but they said nothing more as they turned away and sat with their back on them, pretending they never noticed them.  
Jean, when he stopped his team from moving further, did not expect that. It seemed that they were in pain, probably tortured every day at school by the gang members. The relief washed over him and guided his soldiers to the last few meters till they reached their location.  
\--------  
Commander Levi was on constant guard while they were taking out their equipment and setting them up in their chosen spot. Rooftops were the number one hiding spot for snipers and Levi was waiting patiently for that little red dot to appear. They decided to leave two people on guard on the two opposite skyscrapers to keep watch and as messengers for Jean’s team later. Suddenly an erratic light from Ymir’s side started flashing, telling them that she could see team A.  
“We see you Jean. We are entering now. Are you going to follow up?”  
“Yes. Should I standby for your instructions, Commander?”  
“No. From here on out it’s a race to the boss man. Good luck you four.” Marco’s bombs went off somewhere in the night and Jean grimaced. They were inside.  
“Likewise” Jean said and turned off his radio.  
“Okay, Connie and Sasha you stay behind us and watch our backs, so me and Hitch can get aggressive on this bitch.”  
“Hey Kirschtein didja ask me if I wanted to blood my nails tonight?”  
“Hitch I’m sure you’ll manage. Now get ready. 1...2...3!!!” Jean kicked the tin door open and rushed inside with the others on his tail. How did that not sound an alarm Jean was surprised himself.  
They moved inside sticking to the walls so they wouldn’t leave footprints or disturb the dust much on the thin carpet. Suddenly Hitch heard footfalls and stopped all of them on their toes.  
“Wait” she said covering them with her body and pushing them back before looking around the corner.  
“Jean- there's people, at least thirty. They’ve surrounded the stairs.”  
“So I did trigger an alarm, thank goodness. Alright everyone do your best to draw the outmost attention on yourselves so team B can infiltrate from above easier.”  
“You can count on us Jean-bo” Connie laughed, took out his trusted revolvers and waited for Jean to do the same. Jean took out his rifle and loaded it.  
They surprised the crowd of people by jumping in the middle of them and started shooting them. Jean got two at the same time with the help of a stray bullet from the person behind him that just missed him. Sasha got shot in the forearm but her grip on the gun never wavered so she continued shooting killing four in the process.  
But the numbers of the gang members seemed to increase with their every death and Jean had been thrown on a wall so many times his body memorized the texture. Hitch’s long limps were spread out on the floor since one of them shot her from behind. Lucky for her she was alive, but she chose to stay put for now. Connie was not fine. His nose was dripping blood along with three other cuts to his abdomen, face and upper left arm. He was becoming pale but he still stood with Jean and they fought together until most of the gang members either couldn’t breathe or breathed heavily.  
“HITCH, are you alright, talk to me please??” Jean kneeled next to her and took out a towel from his duffel. He pressed it on her wound making the green towel muddy brown almost immediately. He took out a water bottle, wet the towel on the up side and flipped it, pressing on it again.  
“Sasha help Connie okay?” Jean ordered while pressing the towel harder on Hitch’s back. She was really slender so her back felt like it wasn’t there and Jean was pressing the towel against the floor. Jean pressed harder and took out a bandage to tie the towel in place, since they would need the rope for their escape.  
“JEAN, Connie’s got anemia” Sasha said worriedly watering a towel as well and cleaning his cuts finely.  
“Give ‘im some of your meat.” Jean saw Sasha raffle in her duffel, pull out a dried piece of sheep meat and cutting it up with her hands. They were trembling.  
“Here Connie, here bud, eat this” her voice wavered as she put the little pieces of dried meat into Connie’s mouth and helped him chew.  
Connie remained pale, but he got up to his feet. His body wavered and he almost fell so they waited until he was stable enough to move, so that they could continue their mission. Team B must’ve entered long ago so they had to pick up the pace. They drew their hoods on their heads and Jean told Hitch to stay behind him at all costs. She nodded, trying to keep herself together and not fall into shock. She inhaled and exhaled like her life depended on it and with a final shudder she became normal again.  
\-------------  
“Eren are you listening?”  
“What the hell Jean I’ve been waiting for two hours man, the sun’s almost out.”  
“Sorry dude I had a bit of a pickle over here, -- so are ya ready ta go, man?”  
“For an hour now dude, alright I’ll tell Gunther okay, over.”  
“Do we get to go now?”  
“Yeah, let’s go.”  
Eren and Gunther got up from their sitting position and stretched.  
Then, their demeanor changed from friendly to menacing. They tied scarves around their mouths and zipped up their uniforms completely.  
Together they ran through their route, bouncing from building to building, jumping on roofs and using fire escapes to swing themselves on the next building. They were looking around, not leaving a corner unshed, when Eren noticed three snipers facing them from the left.  
“Gunther look-out” he managed to yell whilst sprinting to their direction avoiding the bullets and taking out a gun from its holster. He shot back, but they were greatly hidden and he missed. Two more appeared on his peripheral vision and managed to land a shot on the muzzle of his gun throwing him a bit of and revealing his chest which he took advantage of and killed him. The body fell from the story they were on, splatting on the ground with a big sound.  
A sniper lowered his gun to see the damage of his comrade and Gunther took the chance and killed him as well. He dropped back lifeless and unmoving. Eren used a big lead to jump high enough from the building beside the skyscraper and get the falling gun in his grasp.  
Gunther agile as he was ran and used the same building to propel himself onto a rooftop and from there he headed to the heart of the city with Eren on his tail. He could feel the pressure he was emitting from behind him. It was flaming hot; his eyes were burning with regret and anger simultaneously. He, out of all of them, felt the most of the pain when they killed someone who might have had a family waiting for them at home.  
“Eren let’s go this way”  
“Sure” he replied, bland and emotionless. They searched and searched until all of the gang members who lurked in the roofs and alleys lied dead on the ground or on some high point that was hard to get down from.  
Once they were done Eren called Jean and told him that they had finished what they set out to do and that they’d be entering the gang’s headquarters soon.  
“Take a break first man, your bloodlust is leaking through the transceiver.”  
“Whatever Kirschtein, how are you guys holdin’ up?”  
“We got two injured but they’re fine for now. We are in position and we’re waiting for B to make their move so we could cover them.”  
“Well then hold your horses, horse-face I’ll be by your side in a bit”  
“See ya Jaeger”  
“Later. Come on Gunther; let’s finish this once and for all.”  
\---------  
Team B was using a sneaking attack by sticking themselves to the ceiling and killing each and every guard they came across.  
Being malnourished they could sneak in the smallest of spaces and they took complete control of the corridors leading to the source of this entire monstrosity aka the big boss’s office.  
They had got bruises from the pipes they held on, and some of the gang’s men got them wounded in pretty critical spots. They all bled on some part of their body but they held on and kept countering. The gang members and they were evenly matched in handling weaponry but unequal in strategy. Levi guided his team skillfully, managing either to outrun or trap many of them in corners and widespread spaces.  
Eventually the corridors were filled with bodies; either corpses or soon to be ones. Levi sighed and motioned his team to head farther up. They arrived at the boss’s door and Levi left it to Reiner to report, while he picked the lock.  
“Horse-face we’re going in, come after us.”  
“Roger ‘Mir. Be right there, come on guys.”  
Ymir closed the transceiver and shoved it in her small duffel. Levi can get it back later.  
The door opened and chaos erupted.  
Many people were gathered inside and a slaughter fest begun. No one knew what to do but swing their hand and hope to hit someone. Ymir used the butt of her pistol to crush someone’s nose off, whilst using the other hand to punch someone unconscious. Reiner, the muscly guy that he was, preferred to hit with his fists rather than use a gun. He blocked an incoming sharp blade to his face and pulled the person down by his shirt and kicked his neck hard enough to crack it.  
Levi slashed his sword –ever the traditional- to every unfamiliar face he looked at for more than five seconds. His never-tiring arms blocked and attacked at the same time, keeping his stance unmoving and letting his opponent do all the work.  
After a while, most of those who were left retreated and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But that sigh quickly turned to rage when they discovered that their main target had either escaped when they were busy with that huge wave or they were never there in the first place.  
“SHIT” Levi shouted catching the transceiver that Ymir threw at him and notifying Eren and Gunther as Jean’s team came inside followed by another wave of gang members.  
“Reiner leave them to me, go and help Jean” he said slicing a hand that tried to grab his shoulder making the man scream in pain.  
These gang members, unlike the other ones, had nothing to lose. They shot and slashed the squad members without mercy. Sasha dropped to the floor, her ponytail loosing up and she lay unmoving with her palms on her chest and her eyes glossed over.  
Soon the walls were splattered with blood droplets, bodies were flung to all directions and the soldiers raised their head to the mass pile of bodies they had just created. Marco’s reinforcements came through the door and all of them, every single soldier, fell on their knees and let out a sigh of relief. They all felt pain hit them like a wall in every part of their body. They felt so sore, unable to move and felt their bodies turn into stone.  
“SASHA, SASHA, NO” Connie yelled as he threw his body on hers and hugged her tight. Sasha wasn’t breathing, her lips swollen from the cold floor and her eyes unresponsive. Connie hugged her and cried in her dead hug while the others sat listening to him.  
Hitch was lifeless. She must’ve passed during the fight. Her hair covered her eyes and her head on her shoulder, even now mocking whoever she was looking. Jean felt horrible as he looked at one of his best friend’s tears sliding down the only woman he ever loved and befriended.  
Levi had left to meet up with Eren and Gunther long ago; he didn’t even know if they caught the boss, had even killed him as they had planned.  
Jean slowly took out his transceiver from a pocket and wired it with Marco’s.  
“Marco, status update-- please”  
“The enemy is caught and dead as planned. Jean--- stay strong, okay?”  
Jean closed the transceiver and shoved it back in his pocket. They did it. In one night after so many attempts they’ve done it. He felt so proud of everyone.  
The reinforcements gathered the dead in a pile, tied them together and dragged them out of the room, down to a car. They would either burn them or bury them. Jean didn’t care. He kneeled beside Connie and lifted both of his friends in his hug. In his peripheral vision he saw Marlo hug Hitch as well. Reiner and Ymir were cast off from everyone watching from the sidelines. They disappeared with the crowd eventually.  
\------  
No one noticed how they were hoarded back to headquarters; Jean never noticed how Marco wrapped his arm around his shoulders and comforted him for the entire ride. Connie’s eyes looked as if they’d never dry and Marlo who never said much to begin with seemed that he’d be silent for the rest of eternity.  
They fell asleep on cots that were cricking and clanking and perfect. Jean woke up a day later, in the afternoon, smelling coffee and potage in the air. He assumed everyone was up, never bothering to look around him, as he slid through the mess hall door and stubbly sat on the first table he found.  
He ate without a word; he showered without a word and sat on a bench in the headquarters’ courtyard. Marco followed him a while later, holding crutches and sat beside him. He offered him a smile and a kiss which Jean gladly accepted. Jean felt at ease with Marco’s kiss which deepened at some point and the lump in his hard unclenched just enough for him to breathe.  
Jean and Marco’s services had been suspended for a month, so they along with some other soldiers took a break. They all protested while the higher ups ushered them on trains and gave them supplies to have with them but they all gratefully collapsed on the soft sofa cushions of the train’s seats and waited for the train to leave.  
Jean fell asleep in the first few minutes and Marco who was opposite of him, his bandages changed for the last time, gave the tickets to the conductor and sat next to Jean. He petted the golden blond hair and then removing a strand of hair from the way he kissed him for the second time.  
They were going to try this out.  
They were together. They’d see what this future held for both of them.  
They would be fine.  
END.

**Author's Note:**

> Few pointers:  
> 1-The Shepard is NOT Armin Arlert  
> 2-The person who Marco got on the transceiver is this person: http://shingekinokyojin.wikia.com/wiki/Rico_Brzenska  
> 3-This was the first time I had used retrospective writing. It' s so cool.


End file.
